What should have happened at the Yule Ball
by Madame Reveuse
Summary: Ron gets angry when he sees Hermione with Viktor Krum. This time, though, things happen differently from the canon as Hermione decides she does not need Ron to dictate who she's going out with. She sits him down for a talk that will change their entire relationship. One-shot. NO RON/HERMIONE!


**Just a little something I came up with, inspired by Emma Watson's speech on feminism. I'm sure Hermione would be into it. The ending needs work, though.  
**

**I also kind of don't like Ron anymore…**

* * *

"Hermione, you're fraternizing with the enemy!"

As he heard Ron pretty much shout that into Hermione's face, and listened on as he accused her of helping Viktor Krum with the second task and not supporting him, Harry, in the tournament as she should, he was prepared for Hermione straight out exploding like a blast-ended Skrewt. However, he was caught by surprise as Hermione merely uttered a long-suffering sigh.

"Ronald" she said. "This is not about Harry, and we both know it."

"What?" Ron asked, just as surprised as Harry was.

"It's not even really about Viktor. It's about _you_, Ronald Weasley, and only you, as always. It's about how you never even thought of asking me to go to the ball with you until there was literally nobody else left to ask, how you get to fawn over Fleur Delacour, but when there's suddenly someone who wants to go out with me, you get to be angry. Because I have to be available should the great Ronald Weasley want to go out with me. Is it not so, Ron?"

"N-no…" Ron spluttered. "N-not like that at all…I never said…"

"That's right, you never said that. You never needed to. Because you took it for granted, right? You took _me_ for granted."

Harry couldn't help but think that Hermione had a point.

She sighed again and, instead of stomping away in anger, she suddenly sat down between them. "Listen, boys. Have you ever heard of feminism?"

"Feminism?" Ron asked. "Is this one of your SPEW things?"

"This time she might be on to something, Ron" Harry muttered, beckoning Ron to be quiet and listen.

"Feminism is a pretty big deal in the Muggle world" Hermione lectured. "It is a movement mainly about Muggle women and them getting rights equal to men. One of the goals of feminism is to get rid of the way people like you, Ron, think."

"What? Some Muggle women want to tell me what to think?!"

"No, Ron, they want to teach you and people like you to be more respectful towards other people, especially girls and women. This includes you sitting your bum down and understanding that even though we have been very good friends for a while and you might or might not have a crush on me, I don't owe you anything. I especially don't owe you sitting around and waiting patiently for you to make up your mind and ask me out. Should I have turned Viktor down? What should I have told him? _Oh, you're right, Viktor, I don't have a date yet. But I must say no to you because my friend, Ron Weasley, is maybe going to ask me out, depending on whether he finds someone better or not. So, I have to be prepared, because I'm nice and loyal and have only my friend Ron's best interest in mind. _He probably would have believed I was insane."

"Well, you don't need him!" Ron burst out, his face by now brick red, his ears glowing in a glorious shade of…yes, Harry thought, almost maroon.

"Do you want to know" Hermione asked, her voice dangerously low, "what sets Viktor apart from you?"

"He's a famous Quidditch player" Ron said disgruntledly.

"What? No. I mean, yes he is, but you should know me better than to care about that. What I wanted to say is, Viktor actually cares about _me_, and despite being a famous Quidditch player, he is not too proud to admit his feelings. Viktor genuinely wants to spend time with me, and he didn't take me going to the ball with him for granted, as actually _he _did ask me! And he did not start out with "Hermione, you're a girl"! Surprise, Ronald, there are actually boys out there who have noticed! _And_ he can dance! So you know what's going to happen now? I'm going to go back to him now and enjoy my evening, as I am supposed to. I absolutely refuse to run into the dorm and cry because you decided to ruin everything with your insensitive remarks – again. And if it later turns out that Viktor wants to be my boyfriend, and I want him to, then my boyfriend he will be, and I refuse to be guilt-tripped by you into staying free for you. Because you know what, Ron, there is actually not much you can give me."

And with that she, very calmly, walked away to where Krum was waiting for her with butterbeers. "We can of course stay friends, Ron" she threw over her shoulder before going to him.

And that was all that ever became of Ron and Hermione's relationship. Hermione's relationship with Viktor Krum lasted for about a year, then they parted on good terms because even with brooms, the distance was a bit too much. In her sixth year, Hermione met a nice, smart, sensitive young man from Ravenclaw, who was actually in for considering the S.P.E.W. movement and loved the library as much as she did. In her seventh year, she still went off with Harry and Ron to find Horcruxes and save the world from Voldemort, and even though her boyfriend couldn't come with, he had no qualms about letting Hermione go off with her male best friends.

Because that's what the three of them were, friends. And never anything but. Harry thought it was for the best. What Ron thought I can honestly not imagine, and frankly I don't care to.


End file.
